ELF: Hybrid Solar / Pedal Vehicle by Organic Transit

[CeBIT 2013] Today at CeBIT, I met with Alix Bowman and Rob Cotter from Organic Transit, the green transportation company behind ELF, an innovative solar / pedal hybrid vehicle. This egg-shaped tricycle can be powered by an electric engine when needed or using pedals just like a bicycle.

The durable shell comes fully equipped with lights, signals and mirrors just like a car, and the battery pack can be recharged using the solar panels located on the roof top (see photo in the gallery) or by plugging in to a wall outlet. Note that the battery was not plugged when I saw ELF on the showfloor at CeBIT (see the electrical cable unplugged in the picture).

The cargo compartment at the rear of the vehicle offers enough room to store your groceries or your bag with your laptop. Additionally, the ELF’s compact size allows to take advantage of the bike lanes in your city. if your priority is to save money on gas and save the planet at the same time, then the ELF is for you. According to the company, the ELF can go 1,800 miles on the energy equivalent of one gallon of gas.

Founded by CEO Rob Cotter in April 2012 in North Carolina, Organic Transit went through 6 prototypes starting from June 2012 before coming with 9 beta models similar, to the one you see in the picture. Fifty one production models are currently being produced with the money raised on Kickstarter, they will be introduced to the market later this month, thanks to the 51 lucky owners who financed the production.